15 Pak Rangers Killed: BSF

Jammu: At least 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed on Friday in retaliatory firing by Indian soldiers across the border. Pakistan had resorted to unprovoked firing on Thursday and continued on Friday along the international border, according to a Border Security Force (BSF) officer.

One Pakistani soldier on Friday crossed the Line of Control and mutilated the body of an Indian soldier and ran back into Pakistani territory under the cover of fire. Two Pakistani Frontier soldiers and 13 Rangers lost their lives as per the information available with Indian agencies which had intercepted calls in Pakistan. BSF officer Arun Kumar said that as far as he knows, at least 15 rangers were killed. Seven Pakistani soldiers were killed one week ago under the same circumstances. Three BSF personnel were killed in the same week. Firing was taking place for more than two days intermittently in Rajouri, Samba, Adbulla, R S Pura and Suchetgarh areas. BSF soldier Jitender Singh (46) was martyred on Thursday when Pakistani rangers fired a mortar shell in RS Pura sector.

Over the last one week, a six-year-old child was killed and 30 people were injured in Pakistani firing. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh exhorted the BSF to give a fitting reply to the Pakistanis.